A Las Vegas woman, Jiaying Chen, 33, has pleaded guilty to bigamy and fraud charges in a scheme where she married at least 14 men and defrauded them of more than $100,000 to support her gambling addiction. Under a plea agreement, Chen is likely to receive a lenient sentence, potentially avoiding prison time.
Chen was arrested in 2024 after obtaining 14 marriage certificates in Clark County since March 2019. Using a fake identification under the name 'Vicky Liang,' she convinced her husbands to send her money by falsely claiming it was needed for sick relatives in China. Authorities found that Chen gambled away over $300,000 in the past year at the Wynn casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
On July 9, Chen pleaded guilty to one count of bigamy and one count of attempting to obtain money by false pretenses valued at $100,000 or more. Prosecutors agreed to drop several initial charges, including six counts of bigamy and theft, in exchange for her guilty plea. The state has indicated it will recommend probation at her sentencing hearing, scheduled for August 20. Chen was released on house arrest pending the hearing, but remains in custody as she lacks a local residence.
Prosecutors reserve the right to argue the specifics of Chen's probation terms. She has also agreed to pay restitution to victims who can prove financial losses before her sentencing. Chen acknowledged that a bigamy conviction carries a potential prison sentence of one to four years, and attempting to obtain money by false pretenses could result in one to 20 years.
Chen was initially arrested in 2024 but evaded authorities until a joint sting operation by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security on June 4. Police received a tip that Chen was planning to meet a man to discuss marriage. Detectives apprehended her at a restaurant before she could ensnare another victim.
Several of Chen's spouses reported that she convinced them to marry her within months of meeting her, then asked for large sums of money before cutting off contact. One victim stated Chen asked for $40,000 for a sick relative, another for $23,000 before ending the relationship. A third man reported marrying Chen six months after meeting her and giving her $20,000 for her half-sister; they remain married.
Chen also allegedly defrauded a woman of $40,000 through bad checks from a former husband's account. When initially arrested, Chen told detectives she conducted the scheme in Las Vegas due to the ease of getting married there.
Chen estimated she could make up to $20,000 per marriage and stated that only some of her partners paid her, which is why she did not always proceed with obtaining a marriage certificate.